FALL ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS: MAKING AN IMPRESSION

Here’s a super easy way to play with play dough that’s the perfect addition to your list of fun fall activities for kids!

MAKE PLAYDOUGH FOR FINE MOTOR SKILLS

Playing with play dough is one of my favorite fine motor activities to do with my kids at home and at school because there are millions of ways to make it new and exciting, just by adding novel objects or presenting it in a different way.

One afternoon, I was playing with play dough with my boys and we happened to have a basket of mini pumpkins, gourds, pinecones, and other fall-themed objects out on the table for decoration. Since my little guys LOVE to use the rolling pin to flatten out their playdough, but HATE waiting their turn to use said rolling pin, it wasn’t long before the gourds, pinecones, pumpkins and every other fall-themed object they could get their hands on became rolling pins themselves!

WHAT TO DO:
This is a simple one! Simply present any fall-themed object you can find (cylinder and sphere-shaped objects work best) to your kids as they play with playdough and show them how to use the objects as rolling pins. Some examples:
-pinecones
-apples
-gourds
-pumpkins
-buckeyes

Also, try presenting some different types of leaves with a rolling pin. Show your child how to roll his playdough flat and then lay a leaf on top. Have your child roll the rolling pin over the leaf and then gently peel the leaf off of the playdough, leaving an impression behind.

HOW TO CHANGE IT UP:
-Encourage kids to look at, touch, compare, and describe the impressions the different objects leave in the playdough. Did the object leave a bumpy texture or a smooth one? Which one was the smoothest?
-See what happens when you use different amounts of pressure as you roll out the objects? Does it look different when you push hard vs. gently?
-Talk about the different leaf impressions with your child. Which was biggest? Which was jagged and which was smooth?

Claire Heffron is co-author at The Inspired Treehouse and a pediatric occupational therapist in a preschool/primary school setting. She began her career with a bachelor's degree in magazine journalism but quickly changed course to pursue graduate studies in occupational therapy. She has been practicing therapy for 10 years in public and specialized preschool/primary school settings. She is a mom to three funny, noisy boys and relies on yoga, good food, and time outside to bring her back to center.